Iconic or ironic

Have you noticed how icons used in mobile phones use ancient metaphors? Why of why does the email icon has an envelope on it? What has it to do with electronic emails? Are we actually so attached to the past that we have to remind us that writing emails actually resembles a lot to writing good ol' letters and thus is not so frightening? Also the idea that functions in an operating system are started using icons is a bit old,eh?

Have to mention a couple of other oddities:

-answer-button: the handset of a phone used maybe in the 1950's

-settings: it has GEARS on it? What are the mobile phones, swiss clocks?

-folders (in an file explorer): manila folders which were used before we started handling information electronically

-youtube (on an iphone): this is my absolute favorite. On a youtube icon in iphone there's a tv (what has television to do with youtube). And best of all, the tv looks like something from a I love lucy. Lame.